Holder for collapsible tubes



June 20, 1967 w. F. TURNER HOLDER FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed April 7, 1965 United States Patent O 3,326,420 HOLDER FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Wesley F. Turner, 169 Brentwood St., Portland, Maine 04103 Filed Apr. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 446,201 3 Claims. (Cl, 222-103) The present invention relates to devices for use in dispensing materials from collapsible tubes.

While devices in accordance with the invention may be used in the dispensing of any material contained in a tube, the invention is herein discussed with particular reference to the dispensing of toothpaste. As the several members of a family may all use the same tube of toothpaste, the convenience afforded by a securely mounted, readily accessible, and easily operated dispenser is particularly advantageous with that product.

In accordance with the invention, a dispenser providing the above generally indicated characteristics consists of a tube-receiving channel attachable to a wall and having a transverse slot in its bottom wall through which the sealed end of the tube is inserted thereby to become anchored with its capped end exposed at one end of the channel. The device includes a slide within the channel includingy a portion engageable with a side of the tube to express its contents and means are provided then to oppose movement of the slide from that position, such means being a slidable cam or a slidable resilient connection between the slide and the channel or a connection combining both bases for holding the slide in position.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention from which these and other of its objective, novel features, and advantages will be readily apparent.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a plan view of a device in accordance with the invention with a collapsible tube anchored therein,

FIGURE 2 is a section taken approximately along the indicated lines 2-2 of FIGURE l,

FIGURE 3 is an end View of the device,

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view of the device showing its parts in perspective, and

FIGURE 5 is a section similar to FIGURE 2 but with the tube removed.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by the drawings, the device consists of a U-shaped channel generally indicated at 10. The channel has a pair of keyhole shaped slots 11 spaced lengthwise of its bottom wall 12 to enable it to be detachably mounted on a wall provided with suitably spaced, head supporting members, not shown.

Adjacent the end of the channel 10 that is uppermost, when thus wall-supported, there is a transverse slot 13 dimensioned to enable the sealed end 14 of a collapsible tube 1S, a tube of toothpaste, for example, to be inserted therethrough, with such sealed end serving to anchor it, see FIGURE 2. The channel 10 is so dimensioned that the nozzle 16 of the thus supported tube 15 is exposed at its lower end so that its contents may be discharged, when the cap 17 is removed, onto a toothbrush held below it.

In accordance with the invention the desired amount of the tube contents is discharged by an expressing action etfected by means of the generally indicated slide 18 ice shown as having a at, central, tube-engaging portion 19, an upturned, leading end portion 20, and a trailing roll portion 21. The width of at least the roll portion 21 and preferably both slide ends is such as to be marginally engageable with the inturned flanges 22 with which the side walls 23 of the channel 10 are provided. The roll portion 21 is shown as slightly eccentric with its dimension 21A slightly less than the dimension 21B. The dimension 21A is such that when the slide 18 is inserted in the channel 10 with the portion 19 in sliding Contact with the channel wall 12, the roll portion 21 is in relatively free sliding contact with the flanges 22. When the leading end portion 20 engages the sealed end 14 of the tube 15, the slide 18 tilts as the flat portion 19 in expressing contact with the wall of the tube 15 as is indicated in FIGURE 2 and with the leading end 20 of the slide portion usually in engagement with one or both of the anges 22. On such tilting, the dimension 21B is now perpendicular to the wall 12 and the slide in now held tightly enough to prevent its movement in response to the pressure of the tube contents while permitting its adjustment in either direction.

In practice, both the channel 10 and. the slide 18 are plastic, polystyrene, for example. As a consequence, the slide 18 is resilient so that digital pressure on the exposed part of the roll portion 21 is effective to so compress it as to free the slide.

I claim:

1. A device for use in dispensing material from a collapsible tube, said device comprising a channel dimensioned to receive a tube and having a transverse slot in its bottom wall through which the sealed tube end is to be inserted thereby to become anchored, the slot being located so that the capped end of the thus anchored tube is exposed for use adjacent one end of said channel, and a slide in said channel for sliding movement lengthwise thereof towards said channel end, said slide including a tube-engaging portion and a transverse cam portion slidably connected to said channel to turn relative thereto into and out of positions opposing movement of said slide, said tube-engaging portion turning said cam portion into a movement-opposing position when slid into engagement with said tube to express material therefrom.

2. A device for use in dispensing material from a collapsible tube, said device comprising a channel dimensioned to receive a tube and having a transverse slot in its bottom wall through which the sealed tube end is to be inserted thereby to become anchored, the slot being located so that the capped end of the thus anchored tube is exposed for use adjacent one end of said channel, and a slide in said channel for sliding movement lengthwise thereof towards said channel end, said slide including a tube-engaging portion and a transverse, resilient cam portion slidably connected to said channel to turn relative thereto into and out of positions opposing movement of said slide, said tube-engaging portion turning said cam portion into a movement-opposing position when slid into engagement with said tube to express material therefrom.

3. A device for use in dispensing material from a collapsible tube, said device comprising a channel dimensioned to receive a tube and having a transverse slot in its bottom wall through which the sealed tube end is to thereby to become anchored, the slot being located so that the capped end of the thus anchored tu-be is exposed for use adjacent one end of said channel,

, 3 4 the side walls of said channel including inturned anges References Cited and a slide of resiliently yieldable stock in said channel UNITED STATES PATENTS for sliding movement lengthwise thereof towards said channel end, said slide including a at tube-engaging 2,064,111 12/ 1936 Hartland 222-103 portion, a leading end portion inclined upwardly relative 5 FOREIGN PATENTS thereto, and a trailing end portion in the form of a roll slidably confined between said flanges and said bottom wall, the trailing end portion being a cam in binding engagement with the bottom wall of said channel and ROBERT B REEVES Primm, Examiner said anges when the tube-engaging portion is in engage- 10 y ment with the side of the tube tf evnress its contents. EVON C- BLUNK, N- L- STACK, Examine- 974,849 1l/l964 Great Britain. 97,578 12/1939 Switzerland. 

1. A DEVICE FOR USE IN DISPENSING MATERIAL FROM A COLLAPSIBLE TUBE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A CHANNEL DIMENSIONED TO RECEIVE A TUBE AND HAVING A TRANSVERSE SLOT IN ITS BOTTOM WALL THROUGH WHICH THE SEALED TUBE END IS TO BE INSERTED THEREBY TO BECOME ANCHORED, THE SLOT BEING LOCATED SO THAT THE CAPPED END OF THE THUS ANCHORED TUEB IS EXPOSED FOR USE ADJACENT ONE END OF SAID CHANNEL, AND A SLIDE IN SAID CHANNEL FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT LENGTHWISE THEREOF TOWARDS SAID CHANNEL END, SAID SLIDE INCLUDING A TUBE-ENGAGING PORTION AND A TRANSVERSE CAM PORTION SLIDABLY CONNECTED TO SAID CHANNEL TO TURN RELATIVE THERETO INTO AND OUT OF POSITIONS OPPOSING MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDE, SAID TUBE-ENGAGING PORTION TURNING SAID CAM PORTION INTO A MOVEMENT-OPPOSING POSITION WHEN SLID INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TUBE TO EXPRESS MATERIAL THEREFROM. 